Dominica honours umpire Doctrove

TEST UMPIRE Billy Doctrove has received yet another honour from the government of Dominica.The Players Pavilion at the Windsor Park Sports Complex was officially named after him during an unveiling ceremony in the lounge of the Media Centre over the weekend.Two of the stands at the ground, which will host its fourth One-Day International today when West Indies and South Africa square off, were also named after former Test cricketers.One stand will jointly bear the name of Irving Shillingford and the late Grayson Shillingford, with another named after Norbert Phillips and Adam Sanford.Grayson, a fast bowler, was Dominica’s first Test cricketer. He played seven Tests between 1969 and 1972, taking 15 wickets at 35.80 while his cousin, Irving, a high-scoring regional first-class right-handed batsman, hit a century against Pakistan in the second of his four Tests in 1977-1978 for a batting average of 31.14.Fast-bowling all-rounder Phillips played nine Tests between 1978 and1979, taking 28 wickets at 37.17 and averaging 29.70 with the bat, while Sanford captured 30 wickets at 43.86 in 11 Tests between 2002 and 2004.A third stand will carry the name of Clem John and Kaleb Laurent, two former outstanding Dominica cricketers.“I really feel honoured about it. To be recognised in this manner is a unique thing for a cricket umpire,” said Doctrove, who was promoted to the ICC Elite panel of umpires in 2006.“I’ve always had the support of the government and people of Dominica and I always say when I go out on the field, I know that I’m not only representing myself but I’m representing the whole country,” noted the Goodwill Ambassador of Dominica.“Everybody has been really behind me over the years. I’ve [had] difficult times but they have made me stronger and I really want to say thank you to the people and government for giving me that kind of recognition,” he said.